Nigerian airlines lament loss of N5.4b to bird strike incidents

There are indications that Nigerian airlines lose at least US$15m annually to bird strike incidents across the country’s airports and airfields. Bird strike incidents usually affect the engines of aircraft, which cost about $1.5m to replace, depending on the type and capacity of the aircraft involved in the incident. This is apart from the cost of shipping the engine into the country. Nigerian airlines experience at least 10 bird strike incidents annually. In the past 24 months, there have been no fewer than 27 bird strike incidents recorded across the country’s airports. Statistics of the incidents indicate that the airlines encountered 14 bird strikes during take-offs and another 13 on landings, with half of the incidents happening at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. <br/>